About the field of Italian Studies: Studying another culture can be a complicated undertaking, but many people start with the language and literature of that culture. If you can speak a language, you can communicate with others who speak that language and thus learn far more than a book or a lecture can ever tell you. Similarly, learning the literature of another culture enables you to hear the stories of that people in their own words. Language studies can cover anything from basic vocabulary to advanced linguistics , while literature can touch on the range of issues facing a particular society. Many people pursuing Italian studies will choose to travel to Italy in order to immerse themselves in the language and culture. Italian tends to be a particularly good language to learn for those interested in the arts as approximately 60% of the world's art treasures are estimated to be in Italy. For those interested in studying other languages and cultures, there are a variety of other related fields including: African Studies , Asian Studies , French Studies , German Studies , Middle Eastern Studies , Portuguese Studies , Russian and Slavic Studies , and Spanish Studies . Italian studies may also encompass a range of other issues related to Italian culture including: history , politics , philosophy , art , and religion .